Chapter 3
Alex's point of view...
"So this is what I needed the whole time? To phase and let go of all the pain?" I asked Billy. He was nodding absently, looking as if on thought. "What's on your mind Billy?" I asked once again. He seemed to register I was talking then. "I was just wondering why your coat was such a beautiful vibrant red colour" he mused. I was shocked. Red? Really? I let my hopes up, wondering if it really was the colour of Jazz's hair. "I have to see it Billy" I told him. "Get the camera for me, go out side and phase and I'll take a picture for you" Billy instructed. I did as told waiting for Billy to take the picture and after 3 or 4 minutes he was done. I put my clothes back on, and ran to find Billy, once again, marveling at the colour of my fur. "It's beautiful" Billy murmured. I took the photo, staring at it, hoping wherever Jazz was, she would be happy. I was her dream animal, a wolf with fur the exact same colour as her gorgeous hair. I had one piece of her with me now, at all times I could have Jazz with me, and no one could take that away from me.
Billy awakened me from my thought saying something about going to sleep, and in that exact moment I realized how tired I actually was. It was like until now I was running on pure adrenalin. "Night Billy" I cooed as I walked upstairs to the room now mine at Billy's house. Jacob had one at mine so we were all good.
I dreamed about that last day with Jazz and the following week. I trained really hard, just for her, I knew I had to win the skating competition for her, it would make her happy. So instead of her winning, I would win for her. I didn't really think about what I wanted much so I just thought of her. It's been that way ever since. My actions all reflect on what Jazz would have said or done or thought was awesome/cool. Until now, when I couldn't control my actions, I couldn't control that I turn into a giant raging wolf, and yet I still did it her way.
I won that skating competition though. I also beat the high score record that was set in the town four years prior, I got a 9.7, the record was 8.9.
Later that morning I was woken up by Jake walking into My room. "Hey Jake" I said whilst smiling. "So the worst is over than?" he questioned. I nodded. "Say hello to the alpha of a non-existent pack" I joke, making us both laugh. "Well it won't be for long, I heard that both Paul Lahote and Leah Clearwater's boyfriend, Sam Uley, were close to phasing" he said after we calmed down. "Really?" I asked. "Yeah, Sam probably in the next couple of days and Paul by the end of the week, at least we think." Jake told me. "Well then my minion I have to figure out how to explain what's happening to them, Billy said it was my job now, he only had to help the first" I replied. Jake nodded, "Good luck with that bro!" he said laughing. "I'll try" I fake sang, witch sent us into more fits of laughter because newly phased shifters did not have high voices, so I sounded like a cliché out of a gang movie. It took us a while but we calmed down and eventually he left me to think about how I was going to deal with Sam and Paul phasing this week. I knew Sam was first, somehow I could just feel it, so I would worry about him first, make sure he didn't skip out of town and leave me to deal with hothead Lahote by myself. And then I would have to organize a bonfire, the initiation one, where billy tells the legends as we sit and watch the smoky blue-green fire from around the circle. I decided that while I thought, I might go for a run, so I yelled out to Billy and left for the woods. I striped quickly and thought about merging into one with my wolf form. I felt and heard the sickening cracks of my bones that billy assured would go away after I got used to and better at phasing, and then the heat rushing down my spine and into every nerve and cell of my being, until I was on four legs and a beautiful red colour.
Running with no purpose helped me clear my mind and think only of the task at hand. If I know Sam, and I did when we were little, he will freak out, have a debate with himself and then run, thinking he had turned into some giant monster. I decided my best plan of action would be to visit Sam and catch up on old friendships. That way I could keep an eye on him without looking suspicious. So with that thought I took off running to Sam's little cottage hut thing.
After about three or four minutes I stopped, phased back and put on my clothes. Then I casually walked up to his door and knocked, waiting for him to answer the door. I waited for about two minutes before I heard heavy, loud footsteps walking towards the door. Sam opened the door and stood in the way looking less than impressed, his expression changed to one of relief and happiness when he figured out who was at the door though. "Alexander Black, long time no see" he said, whilst grinning. "Samuel Uley, I have come to... Hang out, missed ya brah" I said all serious and then normal. "It's been a while" he said to me, dragging me through the door. Sam and I talked a lot before Jazz died, after that I didn't talk to anyone, not even my dad. So I haven't talked to Sam in nearly a year. "Yeah." I said. "So how's Jazz, did you confess to loving her yet?" Sam asked trying to make conversation. Before I spoke I heaved my self into the chair next to him and covered my face. I was gonna tell him the story that I had not yet relived to anyone else but myself. "She...She died Sam" I stuttered out. Immediately he looked guilty, I suppose for asking. "I'm so sorry Alex." Sam said. I waved my hand, getting my emotions in check. "What happened? I know better than anyone I'm the one person you can tell about this." he stated. I nodded before beginning. "You know how we were trying out for the skating competition?" I asked and paused while Sam nodded. "Well it was that day. She had just gotten her braces off like a week before, and her hair had gone back to her summer colour, and we had gotten placed in top 20 for finals, her eyes were all bright and energetic. We stopped to go for a swim and she slipped on the edge and split her head open on the corner..." I stopped to swallow down the tears. "She fell into the pool, I couldn't catch her. So I dived in and bought her out, screaming for someone to call an ambulance, but she was gone by the time they got there, she died in my arms, just after I said 'I love you', and she said it back." I finished, crying after reliving that memory. Sam sat there in silence, giving me time to compose myself before asking any questions.
After I had calmed down, I sat upright and looked at Sam. "I'm sorry about that, I haven't really gotten over it yet" I explained with a small smile. "I understand" Sam said, but he didn't really there were other things that made it more painful. "Alright my turn to interrogate you, what have you been up to, how are you?" I asked. He took a while to answer. " I have been very sick, I guess you could say, but my symptoms were weird" he said eventually. "What sort of symptoms? I was sick a couple of days ago and my symptoms were a bit unusual" I asked. "Um... I have an unbelievably high temperature, my bones ache, I cant eat, I have to take six pain killers for them to do anything..." he said, trailing off. "What is it Sam?" I asked, cautiously. "I get really angry, I'll be happy and then really angry. I feel like there's an animal inside me, clawing its way out slowly from the inside, and it scares me Alex." he said. I looked at him, it was scaring Sam, he didn't know what was about to happen to him. "Sam," I said getting up and motioning for him to follow me to the door. "Before I leave, give into the anger next time you feel it. Make your way to the woods and give into your animal, then come and find me. Promise." I demanded. "I promise Alex, now go home and get some sleep" he said. I nodded and left hoping he would phase tomorrow.
As I got into bed I realized that maybe I should hope Sam wouldn't phase, I mean he's obviously freaked out about the symptoms, imagine the real thing. It was then I decided that I would stay in wolf form all of tomorrow to be present when Sam did phase.
Alex's point of view...
Waking up was, as usual, hard. I got up at five in the morning just in case and phased. Let me tell you it was hard work. I sat there poised, my phone next to me just in case, and waited for Sam. I knew it would happen today, I could feel it, almost smell it in the air.
After hours of waiting, as if on cue, right after 2 in the afternoon, as I was just about to fall asleep, I felt a shift in the wind. You know how it gets really calm just before a cyclone hits, that's what I felt and I knew straight away that now was the time. Sam was going to phase soon. I stood, circling around getting ready to run in any direction as soon as Sam needed me. He could snap at any moment, like a twig and if anyone was to see or be to close, it would end badly.
Sam's point of view...
I couldn't believe I was on a date with the reservations most wanted. Viktoria was a beautiful, tall red head, Russian girl, with the sexiest accent ever. And the captain of the gymnastics and girls rugby team. Flexible, dominant and above all beautiful. What more could I ask for. I knew the answer to that question, Leah. But at the moment she didn't want me, she said I was being distant and acting strange, of course I knew that, I just didn't want to hurt her.
Anyway, I took Viktoria to my house and made some lunch, salami and cucumber sandwiches, my favorite and then put on a movie, clash of the titans. I thought it was going well, obviously she did not. "Sam, look I'm sorry but I'm leaving. Justin said he wants me back" she said whilst smiling. I felt my blood boil and my dignity raise its ugly head, so much for staying calm. "So as soon as Justin wants to get back together, you ditch whoever your with and go to him? That's bullshit Viktoria!" I yelled, feeling my anger boil. She cringed, got up and ran out the door telling me to stay away from her.
I felt the fever kick in, the rage, my aching bones begging for release, for the tension to be gone. I ran outside quickly into the forrest following Alex's instructions. I felt tight coils of tension and anger roll throughout my spine, down my legs and up my arms. My eyes went black for a millisecond and I then find myself starting at the blurring ground in front of me. So there really was an animal clawing it's way to the surface all this time. I was going to panic no doubt but I would call Alex first, he obviously knew what was happening before I did.
Alex's point of view...
I heard a snap in the back of my mind and was off like a shot. Sam was sprinting towards the borderline of Canada and fast, I had to catch up. 'Jesus Sam' I thought and saw Sam look confused. If that works what happens when I say this 'Sam stop running and let me catch up you dingbat' I yelled in a weird voice. I'd have to ask billy about that later. And as if Sam was on a chain, this huge black wolf was flung backwards onto its stomach a few meters away from me.
'Sam?' I asked, marveling at the huge black wolf in front of me. 'Alex? What the hell is going on and why are we huge wolves?' he all but shouted into my head. I cringed, he was taking this worse than I thought. "Okay, Sam do you remember the Quilulet legends? That we descended from wolves?" I asked cautiously. As he nodded, I threw myself into an explanation, for hours I told him everything.
"And finally, I've told you everything I know, I am the first, making me alpha but I only phased a few days ago, so there's still a lot to learn, any thoughts?" I asked cautiously. Sam opened his mouth but shut it again quickly. There was a flick of something in his eye and I reacted. "Sam! Don't you dare run from me, from your duty, from your soon to be brothers. I know this is difficult but I was the first, I had no one that had experience, that's where we differ, you have me, I know how you feel, I've felt it, lived it, for gods sake, I've breathed it." I roared into his head, this telepathy came in handy. Sam whimpered.
I motioned for him to fallow me and we started making our way to his house. We got dressed and then I sat. I waited for him to comprehend what was going on and after a fee minutes, I asked the all important question, "What do you want to know?".
